the will by hazrat mirza ghulam ahmad

8/3/2019 The Will by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

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The Revelation

A WARNER CAME UNTO THE

WORLD, BUT THE WORLD ACCEPTED

HIM NOT.

YET GOD SHALL ACCEPT HIM AND

DEMONSTRATE HIS TRUTHFULNESS

WITH MIGHTY ASSAULTS

THEWILL by

HADRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI

Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at

2005

I S L A M I N T E R N A T I O N A L P U B L I C A T I O N S L I M I T E D



¯ا ò

The Will(English rendering of ' Al-Wasiyyat' [Urdu])

© Islam International Publications Ltd

Urdu text first published in 1905.

Many Urdu editions published since.

English translation first published in Pakistan.

First UK edition of English translation published in England in 1997.

(ISBN: 1 85372 602 8)

Reprinted in USA, The Gambia and England in August 2004.

Present Edition (a new translation with translators’ footnotes)

published in England in 2005

Published by

Islam International Publications Ltd

Islamabad

Sheephatch Lane

Tilford, Surrey

United Kingdom GU10 2AQ

Typeset & Title by

Shaikh Naseer Ahmad

Wak alat-e-Isha‘at , Rabwah

Printed in UK at

Raqeem Press

Tilford, Surrey

ISBN: 1 85372 774 1



i

Table of Contents

1 About the Author iii

2 Foreword v

3 The Will 1

4 Appendix to the Will 35

5Minutes of the First Meeting of the Majlis

Mu‘tamad in Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya 44



ii



ii i

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in 1835 in Qadian (India), Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Promised Messiah and Mahdi

as,

remained dedicated to the study of the Holy Qur’anand to a life of prayer and devotion. Finding Islam thetarget of foul attacks from all directions, the fortunesof Muslims at a low ebb, faith yielding to doubt andreligion only skin-deep, he undertook vindication andexposition of Islam. In his vast corpus of writings(including his epoch-making ' Br ahin-e-Ahmadiyya'),his lectures, discourses, religious debates etc., he

argued that Islam was a living faith and the only faith by following which man could establish contact withhis Creator and enter into communion with Him. Theteachings contained in the Holy Qur’an and the Law

promulgated by Islam were designed to raise man tomoral, intellectual and spiritual perfection. Heannounced that God had appointed him the Messiah



iv

and Mahdi as mentioned in the prophecies of theBible, the Holy Qur’an and Ahadith. In 1889 he beganto accept initiation into his Community which is nowestablished in one hundred and seventy six countries.His eighty books are written mostly in Urdu, but someare in Arabic and Persian.

After his demise in 1908, the Promised Messiahas

was succeeded by Hadrat Maulawi Nur-ud-Dinra,Khalifatul Masih I. On the death of Hadrat Maulawi

Nur-ud-Dinra

in 1914, Hadrat Mirza BashiruddinMahmud Ahmad

ra, who was also the Promised

Messiah's Promised Son, was elected as Khalifa.Hadrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad

ra

remained in office for nearly fifty two years. He diedin 1965 and was succeeded by his eldest son, HadratHafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad

rh, the Promised grandson of

the Promised Messiah. After seventeen years of meritorious services he passed away in 1982. He wassucceeded by his younger brother, Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad

rhas Khalifatul Masih IV who, having led the

Community to its present strength and globalrecognition, passed away on the 19

thApril, 2003.

Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad Khalifatul Masih Vat

isthe present head of the Community and enjoys thedistinction of being the great-grandson of theFounder, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

as.



v

FOREWORD

The booklet Al-Wasiyyat (Urdu) written in 1905,

gives the glad tidings of the second manifestation of Divine grace in the form of Khilafat and details theinstitution of the grand scheme of making a

testamentary disposition for the cause of Islam and theestablishment of a graveyard named as the Bahisht i

Maqbara1.

It was rendered into English, and was first published under the title ‘The Will’ in Pakistan. Thisnew translation was done jointly by Chaudhry

Muhammad Ali M.A., Wak ilut Tasni f Tahr ik-e-Jad id and Mirza Anas Ahmad M. A. M. Litt. (OXON),Wak ilul Isha‘at , Tahr ik-e-Jad id , Rabwah, Pakistan.

The translators are extremely grateful to Munawar A.Saeed of USA for his valuable suggestions regardingthe format and style of the manuscript. They are alsograteful to him for translating the Persian poem for

this edition.

Most of the Divine Revelations are taken from theEnglish translation of Tadhkirah2 translated by thelate Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khanra. Please also notethat the words in the text in normal brackets ( ) and in

between the long dashes — are the words of thePromised Messiahas

and if any explanatory words or phrases are added by the translators for the purpose of

clarification, they are put in square brackets [ ]. The

1 The graveyard of those who are in the eyes of God worthy of Heaven. [Translators]2 The book containing dreams, visions and verbal revelations vouchsafed tothe Promised Messiahas. [Translators]



vi

edition has also been typeset anew.

The name of Muhammadsa

, the Holy Prophet of Islam, has been followed by the symbol

sa, which is an

abbreviation for the salutation لسوaلaلاaل Sallallahu

‘Alaihi Wasallam (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The names of other prophets and

messengers are followed by the symbolas

, anabbreviation for aام ل ‘ Alaihissalam (on whom be

peace). The actual salutations have not generally beenset out in full, but they should nevertheless, beunderstood as being repeated in full in each case. Thesymbol

rais used with the name of the companions of

the Holy Prophetsa

and those of the PromisedMessiah

as. It stands for //aلاaر Radi Allahu

‘anhu/‘anha /‘anhum (May Allah be pleased with

him/with her/with them).

rh

stands for aلا

aر

Rahimahullahu Ta‘ala (may Allah’s blessing be on

him).at

stands for a لاa اہ Ayyadahullahu Ta‘ala

(May Allah, the Mighty help him).

In transliterating Arabic words we have followedthe following system adopted by the Royal AsiaticSociety.

ا at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a, i,

u preceded by a very slight aspiration, like h in

the English word ‘honour’.

ث th, pronounced like th in the English word

‘thing’.

ح h, a guttural aspirate, stronger than h.

خ kh, pronounced like the Scotch ch in ‘loch’.



vii

ذ dh, pronounced like the English th in ‘that’.

ص s, strongly articulated s.

ض d , similar to the English th in ‘this’.

ط t , strongly articulated palatal t.

ظ z, strongly articulated z.

ع ‘, a strong guttural, the pronunciation of which

must be learnt by the ear.

غ gh, a sound approached very nearly in the r

‘grasseye’ in French, and in the German r. It

requires the muscles of the throat to be in the

‘gargling’ position whilst pronouncing it.

ق q, a deep guttural k sound.

ئ ’, a sort of catch in the voice.

Short vowels are represented by a for — — (like u

in ‘bud’); i for — — (like i in ‘bid’); u for — — (like

oo in ‘wood’); the long vowels by a for — — or آ

(like a in ‘father’); i for ی — — or — — (like ee in

‘deep’); ai for ی — — (like i in ‘site’)♦; u for و — —

(like oo in ‘root’); au for و —

— (resembling ou in

‘sound’).

Please note that in transliterated words the letter ‘e’ is to be pronounced as in ‘prey’ which rhymeswith ‘day’; however the pronunciation is flat without

♦In Arabic words like شيخ (Shaikh) there is an element of diphthong which

is missing when the word is pronounced in Urdu.



viii

the element of English diphthong. If in Urdu andPersian words 'e' is lengthened a bit more it istransliterated as 'ei' to be pronounced as 'ei' in 'feign'

without the element of diphthong thus ' ' istransliterated as 'Kei'. For the nasal sound of 'n' wehave used the symbol 'ń'. Thus Urdu word ' ' would

be transliterated as 'mein'.*

The consonants not included in the above list havethe same phonetic value as in the principal languagesof Europe.

We have not transliterated Arabic, Persian or Urdu words which have become part of English

language, e.g., Islam, Imam, Mahdi, Qur’an●, Hijra,Ramadan, Hadith, Zakat, Sharia, ulema, umma, sunna,kafir, pukka etc.

For quotes straight commas (straight quotes) areused to differentiate them from the curved commasused in the system of transliteration, ‘ for , ’ forع .ءCommas as punctuation marks are used according tothe normal usage.

The Publishers

* These transliterations are not included in the system of transliteration byRoyal Asiatic Society.● Concise Oxford Dictionary records Qur’an in three forms—Qur’an,Qur’an and Koran.



1

3

Since God Almighty has informed me, throughrecurrent revelations, that the time of my demise isnear, and since these revelations have been of such

force as to shake me to the very core of my being— turning my heart cold to this life—I have deemed itappropriate to write a few words of admonition and

advice for my friends and other such persons as may

wish to derive benefit from my words. To begin with Icommit to writing the Divine revelation whichinformed me of my imminent death and motivated meto undertake this task. The following is the revelation

which was received in the Arabic language. Later therevelation in Urdu will also be mentioned.

3 All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds; and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad, his progeny and allcompanions of his. [Translators]



2

(Translation) The appointed time of your death

has come close and We shall leave no trace of

anything the allusion to which might reflect

adversely upon your honour. Very little is left of

the term which God has ordained with respect to

you. And We shall dispel and demolish and leave

no trace of any objection intended to defame and

humiliate you. We have the Power to show you a

part of the fulfilment of Our prophecies about the

opponents or cause you to die. You will die whileI am pleased with you. We shall always cause the

manifest signs to remain as a testimony to your

truthfulness. The promise which was made is

close. Proclaim the bounty of your Lord which

has been bestowed on you. The one who adheres

to Taqwa4 and is steadfast, God does not waste

the reward of such righteous ones.

It should be remembered here that when God

Almighty says that He will not leave behind any suchobjections against me as might be the cause of mydisgrace and defamation, the statement has two

meanings: (1) first that He shall refute and wipe out

4 Taqwa literally means ‘fear of God’. However, it signifies that a true believer fears God lest he should earn God’s displeasure and that he alwaystries to please Him. [Translators]



3

all objections which are published with the intentionof defaming me. (2) second that those who raise suchobjections and do not refrain from mischief, nor desist

from vilification, We shall rid the world of their presence and wipe them off the face of the earth, withthe result that with their destruction their objections

would also be wiped out. After this God spoke to mein Urdu regarding my death and addressed me in thefollowing words:

5

The knowledge that I have been granted about the

calamities is none other than that death will runrampant on all sides, that earthquakes of such severity

will occur as will provide a foretaste of the Day of Judgement. The earth will be turned upside down andthe lives of many will become agonizingly distressing.Then, those who repent and forsake sin, to them Allahwill show mercy. As all the Prophets

ashad prophesied

about this age, it was inevitable that all this shouldhave come to pass. But those who set their heartsaright and follow the ways favoured by God shall

have no fear or grief.

Addressing me God Almighty said:

5 "Very few days are left. On that day all will be saddened. This willhappen, this will happen, this will take place. Your event will take placeafter all other events and natural wonders have been demon-strated." [Translators]



4

6

7

And God informed me of another impending

earthquake which would be of utmost severity and

said: 8 Thus another massive

earthquake is bound to occur, but the righteous are

safe from it. Be righteous, therefore, and fear God so

that you may be saved. Fear God today that you may

remain safe from the fear of that Day. It is inevitable

for the heaven to show some sign and for the earth to

do likewise. But those who fear God shall be saved.

God's Word informs me that many calamities will

occur and many disasters will descend on the earth—

some during my lifetime and some after I have gone.

And He will promote and advance this Jama‘at 9 to the

6 Had the world opened its eyes it would have seen that I appeared at theturn of the century. By now nearly one fourth of the fourteenth century haselapsed. And, quite in accordance with Ahad ith and concurrent with myclaim, a solar and a lunar eclipse occurred during the month of Ramadan,and the plague, too, broke out in the country and earthquakes, too, struck and many more shall yet strike. Woe betide those who fell in love with the

world and did not accept me.[Author]7 "You are a warner on my behalf. I have sent you so that the guilty ones beseparated from the righteous," And He said: "A warner came unto the world but the world accepted him not, yet God will accept him and demonstratehis truthfulness with mighty onslaughts." [see note 6 above] And "I shall bless thee, so much so that kings shall seek blessings from thy garments."[Translators]8 "Again the spring came and again the Word of God wasfulfilled." [Translators]9 The Ahmadiyya Community. [Translators]



5

full. A part of it will happen at my hands, and some

after me.

This is the Way of God. And ever since Hecreated man on earth He has always been

demonstrating this Divine practice. He helps His

Prophetsas

and Messengersas

and grants them success

and predominance, as He says:10

.And by predominance is meant that as Messengersas

and Prophetsas

desire that God’s H ujjat 11 is

established in the world and no one is able to oppose

it, so, in turn, does God demonstrate with powerfulsigns their truthfulness as well as the truth they wish

to spread in the world. He lets them sow the seed of it

[the truth], but He does not let it come to full fruition

at their hands. Rather He causes them to die at such

time as apparently forebodes a kind of failure andthereby provides an opportunity for the opponents to

laugh at, ridicule, taunt, and reproach the Prophetsas

.

And after they have had their fill of ridicule and

reproach, He reveals yet another dimension of His

Might and creates such means by which the objectives

which had to some extent remained incomplete are

fully realized.

Thus He manifests two kinds of Power. (1) First

He shows the Hand of His Power at the hands of HisProphetsas

themselves. (2) Second, when with the

death of a Prophetas

, difficulties and problems arise

and the enemy feels stronger and thinks that things are

10 ‘God has ordained that He and His Prophets shall prevail.’ [Author].(The Holy Qur’an, Al-Mujadalah 58:22) [Translators]11 Literally Argument. Here it means Will, Purpose of God. [Translators]



6

in disarray and is convinced that now this Jama‘at

will become extinct and even members of the

Jama‘at , too, are in a quandary and their backs are

broken, and some of the unfortunate ones choose

paths that lead to apostasy, then it is that God for the

second time shows His Mighty Power and supports

and takes care of the shaken Jama‘at . Thus one whoremains steadfast till the end witnesses this miracle of

God. This is what happened at the time of Hadrat Abu

Bakr Siddiqra, when the demise of the Holy Prophet

sa

was considered untimely and many an ignorant

Bedouin turned apostate. The companionsra

of the

Holy Prophetsa

, too, stricken with grief, became like

those who lose their senses. Then Allah raised Abu

Bakr Siddiqra

and showed for the second time the

manifestation of His Power and saved Islam, just

when it was about to fall, and fulfilled the promise

which was spelled out in the verse: , that is, after the fear We

shall firmly re-establish them.12 That is also what

happened at the time of Mosesas

, when he died on his

way from Egypt to Kin‘an before taking the Israelites

to the intended destination in accordance with the

promise. At his [Moses's] death Israelites were

plunged into deep mourning. It is written in Torah that

with the grief at this untimely death and suddendeparture of Moses

as, the Israelites wept for forty

12 The full meanings of the verse are: "And that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surelygive them in exchange security and peace after their fear." (The HolyQur’an, Al-Nur 24:56) [Translators]



7

days13. The same happened with Christas

. At the time

of the incident of Crucifixion all his disciples

scattered and even one of them apostatized.

So dear friends! since it is the Sunnatullah14, from

time immemorial, that God Almighty shows two

Manifestations so that the two false joys of the

opponents be put to an end, it is not possible now thatGod should relinquish His Sunnah1 5 of old. So do not

grieve over what I have said to you; nor should your

hearts be distressed. For it is essential for you to

witness the second Manifestation also, and its Comingis better for you because it is everlasting the

continuity of which will not end till the Day of

Judgement. And that second Manifestation cannot

come unless I depart. But when I depart, God will

send that second Manifestation for you which shallalways stay with you just as promised by God in

Br ahin-e-Ahmadiyya16. And this promise is not for

my person. Rather the promise is with reference to

you, as God [addressing me] says: I shall make this

Jama‘at 17 who are your followers, prevail over others

till the Day of Judgment. Thus it is inevitable that you

see the day of my departure, so that after that day the

day comes which is the day of ever-lasting promise.

Our God is He Who keeps His promise and is Faithful

13 Deuteronomy chapter 34 verse 8.Note: Some editions mention 30 instead of 40 days. [Translators]

14 Practice, Way, Law, of God. [Translators]15 See footnote 14 above. [Translators]16 The first book of the Promised Messiah

as, published in four parts in

1880, 1882 and 1884. [Translators]17 The community of the followers of the Promised Messiah

as.

[Translators]



8

and is the Truthful God. He shall show you all that He

has promised. Though these days are the last days of

this world and there are many a disaster waiting to

happen, yet it is necessary that this world continues to

exist until all those things about which God has

prophesied come to pass. I came from God as a

Manifestation of Divine Providence and I am a personification of His Power. And after I am gone

there will be some other persons who will be the

manifestation of the second Power [of God]. So, while

waiting for the second Manifestation of His Power,

you all together keep yourselves busy praying. And let

a Jama‘at of righteous people, one and all, in every

country keep themselves busy in prayers so that the

second Manifestation may descend from the Heaven

and show you that your God is such Mighty God.

Consider your death to be close at hand for you never

know when that hour will strike.

Let the righteous persons of the Jama‘at who have

pure souls accept Bai‘at 18 in my name.19 God

Almighty desires to draw all those who live in various

habitations of the world, be it Europe or Asia, and

18 Oath of Allegiance. [Translators]19 Such persons will be selected by consensus of the believers. Hence if forty believers agree that a person is competent to accept Bai‘at in my

name, he will be entitled to accept Bai‘at . And such a person ought to makehimself an example for others. God has informed me: “I shall raise for thy

Jama‘at one from thy progeny and shall honour him with My revelation andnearness. Truth will flourish through him and a large number of peopleaccept him.” So wait for those days. And you should remember that one isrecognized only when one's time comes. And it is possible that before sucha time one may appear to be an ordinary person; or because of somedeceptive thoughts, one may even be regarded as objectionable; just as onewho is destined to be perfect, is at one time, only a drop of semen or clot of blood in the womb. [Author]



9

who have virtuous nature, to the Unity of God20 and

unite His servants under one Faith. This indeed is the

purpose of God for which I have been sent to the

world. You, too, therefore should pursue this end, but

with kindness, moral probity and fervent prayers. And

till that time when someone inspired by God with the

Holy Spirit is raised by Him, all of you should work in harmony with one another.

And you, too, should partake of the Holy Spirit by

compassion and by purifying your souls. Because

without the Holy Spirit true Taqwa21 cannot beattained. And, totally shedding all base desires of the

self, choose for the sake of winning the pleasure of

God that path compared to which no path can be

narrower and straiter. Don’t fall in love with the

pleasures of the world, for they take you away fromGod. Choose a life of austerity for the sake of God.

The pain which pleases God is better than the pleasure

which makes Him angry. And the defeat which

pleases God is better than the victory which invites

the wrath of Allah. Renounce the love which brings

you nearer to the wrath of Allah. If by purifying your

hearts you come to Him, He will help you whichever

path you tread and no enemy shall ever be able to

harm you. You can never ever win the pleasure of

Allah unless you, relinquishing your desires,

abandoning your pleasures, sacrificing your honour,

disowning your wealth, discarding your life, bear such

hardships in His way as make you suffer the pangs of 20 Tauhid is the word used here by the Promised Messiah as and has a wideconnotation. [Translators]21 See footnote 4 page 2.[Translators]



10

death. But once you suffer such hardship, you will sit

in the lap of God like a beloved child. And you will be

made heirs of the truthful who have preceded you.

The door of every blessing will be opened to you. But

there are few who belong to this category. God

addressed me and said that Taqwa is a tree that should

be planted in the heart. The very water whichnourishes Taqwa irrigates the whole garden. Taqwa is

a root without which everything is meaningless; and if

it remains intact then nothing is lost. What benefit is

there for a man in indulging himself in the useless

activity of claiming with his tongue that he seeks God

while he has no sure footing with his Lord. Look, I

say to you truly and sincerely that ruined is he whose

faith is tainted by even a hint of worldliness. Hell is

very close to that soul all of whose intentions are not

for God—rather some of them are for God and others

are for the world. Thus if you have an iota of worldly

adulteration in your intentions, all your worship is in

vain. In such a case you do not follow God. Rather

you follow Satan. Never ever expect that when you

are in such a condition God will help you. Rather in

this condition you are a worm of the earth and soon

you will perish just as worms of the earth do. And

God shall not be in you. Rather He will be happy to

destroy you. But if you, in reality, die by killing your baser selves, then you shall appear in God and God

shall be with you. And the house in which you live

will be blessed and God's mercy will descend on the

walls which are the walls of your house. And that city

shall be blessed where such a person lives. If your life



11

and your death, your every action and movement, and

your kindness, and your anger are for God only and if,

in any trouble or difficulty you do not put God to the

test nor sever your relationship with Him—rather,

under these trials, you step forward towards God—

then I truly say to you that you will become a chosen

people of God. You, too, are human as I am humanand that very God Who is mine is yours. So don't lay

waste your noble capacities. Look! if you fully incline

towards God, then be reminded—and I say it in

accordance with the will and pleasure of God—that,

you shall become His chosen people. Let the

Greatness of God take root in your hearts; and

acknowledge His Unity not just with your tongues but

also with your actions, so that God, too, practically

shows His Mercy and Kindness to you. Refrain from

malice and treat human beings with true compassion.

Adopt each and every path of righteousness for who

knows from which of these paths you will be

accepted?

Rejoice and be happy that the field of achieving

nearness to God is vacant. Every nation is in love with

the world and to what pleases God the world pays no

attention. Now is the time for those who wish to enter

this door that they, mustering all their strength, show

their mettle and win the much coveted prize from

God. Don't think that God will let you go to waste.

You are the seed which the Hand of God has sown in

the earth. God says that this seed will grow and flower

and its branches will spread in all directions and it

will become a huge tree. So, blessed is one who



12

believes in what God says and does not fear the trials

which he suffers in His path. For, the coming of trials

is essential so that God may try you to see who is true

in his declaration of Bai‘at and who is false. Whoever

falters in the face of a trial would do no harm to God

whatsoever and ill-luck would only land him in hell.

Were he not born, it would have been better for him.But all those who remain steadfast till the end—they

will be shaken with quakes of calamities, and battered

with storms of misfortune, ridiculed and mocked by

people, and hated and reviled by the world—shall at

last come out victorious. And doors of Blessings shall

be thrown open for them. God addressed me and said

that I should inform my Jama‘at that those who

believe and their belief is not adulterated with worldly

considerations and is free from hypocrisy and

cowardice and is not found wanting at any stage of

obedience, such people are the favourites of God. And

God says that indeed these are the ones whose station

is that of Truth.

Listen, O you who can: What is it that God desires

from you? All He desires is only that you become

solely His and do not associate any partners with Him,

neither in the heavens nor on the earth. Our God is

that God Who is alive even now as He was alive

before. He speaks even now as He used to speak

before. And even now He hears as He heard before. It

is a false notion that in these times He only hears but

does not speak. On the contrary, He hears and also

speaks. All His Attributes are eternal and everlasting.

None of His Attributes is in abeyance, nor will it ever



13

be. He alone is the One without any associate; He has

no son, nor has He any wife. He alone is Peerless and

there is no one like Him. And He is the One Who is

unique in that none of His Attributes are exclusively

possessed by anyone beside Him. He has no equal. He

does not share His attributes with anyone. None of

His powers is less than perfect. He is near, yet far andHe is far, yet near. He can reveal Himself to Ahl-e-

Kashf 22. He has no body, nor any shape. He is above

all, but it cannot be said that there is anything beneath

Him. He is on ‘Arsh2 3 , but it can't be said that He is

not on the earth. He is the sum total of all Perfect

Attributes and He is the Manifestation of every True

Praise. He is the source of all that is Good and

encompasses all Powers and He is the source of all

forms of Beneficence. He is the One to Whom

everything returns. He is the Lord of all the realms.

He possesses every Perfection and is free from all

defects, imperfections and weakness. It is His sole

prerogative that all those who belong to the earth as

well as all those who belong to the heavens should

worship Him. Nothing is impossible for Him. All

souls and their potentialities and all particles and their

potentials are His and only His creation. Nothing

22

Kashf is a unique spiritual visual experience which one has in a state of wakefulness. Ahl-e-Kashf are those who experience Kashf . The statement'can reveal Himself to…' is not meant to be taken literally, nor is it meant to be taken figuratively. There are different ways in which God manifestsHimself to Ahl-e-Kashf . Apart from them no one can conceive of the natureof how and in what manner He reveals Himself to Ahl-e-Kashf i.e.Prophets

asand other men of God.[Translators]

23 The Divine Throne—in one meaning, denoting attributes of Allah whichexclusively belong to Him, for example, Ar-Rahman (TheGracious). [Translators]



14

comes into existence without Him. He reveals

Himself through His Powers, His Omnipotence and

His Signs. We can attain Him only through Him. He

always reveals His Being to the righteous and shows

them His Omnipotence—and this is the only means

by which He is recognized and the path He favours is

recognized.He sees without physical eyes and hears without

physical ears and speaks without a physical tongue.

Likewise it is His work to bring a thing into existence

from nothingness. For example, in dreams you seehow He creates a whole world without matter and

shows you every mortal and nonexistent being as

having existence. Thus are all His Powers. Ignorant is

he who denies His Powers. Blind is he who has no

knowledge of His profound and inconceivablePowers. He can, and does everything that He intends

to, except those which are at variance with His Glory

or which are in conflict with His Promises. He is

unique in His Being, in His Attributes, in His Actions

and in His Powers. All doors to reach Him are closed

except the one which the Noble Qur’an has opened.

And all Prophethoods and all Books of the past are no

longer required to be followed independently, because

the Prophethood of Muhammadsa

comprises and

encompasses them all. And except for it [the

Prophethood of Muhammadsa

] all routes to God are

closed. Each and every truth which leads to God is in

it [the Holy Qur’an] alone. Neither will any truth

come after this, nor is there any earlier truth which is

not present in it. It is for this reason that all



15

Prophethoods have ended with [the coming of] this

Prophethood. And so it should have been: for a thing

which has a beginning must also have an end. But this


in its intrinsic

beneficence suffers from no handicap. Indeed, its

beneficence far surpasses the beneficence of other

Prophethoods. Following the Prophethood of Muhammadsa

is the easiest route through which one

can reach God. Obedience to it wins the gift of Divine

love and communion greater and more than ever

before. However, a perfect follower of it [the


] cannot be called a

prophet per se, for that would be an affront to the

perfect and absolute Prophethood of Muhammadsa

.

Yet, with regard to him [the follower of the Holy

Prophetsa

], the two expressions Ummat i2 4 and Nabi2 5

can be applied in conjunction. Because by doing so no

disrespect is implied to the perfect and final


. Rather because of this

beneficence of the Holy Prophetsa

, the light of his

Prophethood becomes all the more clear and

resplendent.26 When this communion and converse

reaches the highest stage of perfection from the point

of view of both quality and quantity and is free from

all impurities and deficiencies, and when it openly and

24 The true follower of Muhammadsa

who is blessed with his beneficenceand, through this, can attain each and every spiritual station. [Translators]25 Prophet. [Translators]26 In spite of this, it should be remembered that after Muhammad

sathe door

for law-bearing Prophethood has been firmly closed. And after the HolyQur’an there is no book [scripture], which teaches new injunctions, or abrogates the authority of the Holy Qur’an or suspends it. For the ministryof the Qur’an remains effective until the Day of Judgement. [Author]



16

explicitly reveals matters pertaining to the unknown,

then such a Revelation is in other terms designated as

Prophethood. All the Prophetsas

are in agreement

concerning this. Thus it is not possible that a people

about whom it is said 27 and who are

taught the prayer 28

should have been deprived of attaining this highstation and not a single one of them could attain it.

Were it so, this would not have been the only flaw,

namely that Ummat-e-Muhammadiyya29 would haveremained imperfect and inadequate and all those

belonging to it would have remained [spiritually]

blind. The other more grave consequences would have

followed—the beneficence of the Holy Prophetsa

would have been flawed and his Quwwat-e-Qudsiya3 0

would have been considered imperfect. Moreover, thesupplication which the Muslims were enjoined to

make in their five obligatory prayers would have been

in vain. On the other hand, there would have been the

added defect that if this Kamal3 1 were made possible

for a member of the Ummah to achieve directly

without completely following the Light of the


, then the meaning and

significance of Khatmi Nabuwwat 3 2 would have been

27

You are the best people raised for the good of mankind. (The HolyQur’an, Al-e-‘Imr an 3:111). [Translators]28 Guide us on the right path, the path of those on whom Thou hast be-stowed Thy blessings. (The Holy Qur’an, Al-Fatihah 1:6-7). [Translators]29 The community of the followers of Muhammadsa. [Translators]30 The Spiritual Power to bring about a spiritual change in a person. See theHoly Qur’an 8:25, where it is specifically mentioned with respect to theHoly Prophetsa. [Translators]31 Literally 'perfection'. Here it signifies the Prophethood. [Translators]32 Seal of Prophethood; the end of Prophethood in so far as it is not the



17

negated. Thus, to avoid both these dangers, God

Almighty vouchsafed the consummate, perfect, pure

and venerated revelation to some of those who

completely lose themselves in the Holy Prophetsa

and

no barrier remains between them and himsa

. They

personify the sense and substance of being an ummat i

and the true meaning of following the Holy Prophet

sa

is fully realized in them in such a way that their

beings cease to be their own but are lost in the being

of the Holy Prophetsa

, so much so that in the mirror of

their total absorption, the person of the Holy Prophetsa

is fully reflected and along with this they are

vouchsafed a personal communion with God like

other Prophetsas

.

This is how some individuals, despite being

ummat i, have earned the title of 'Prophet'. For suchProphethood is not distinct from the Prophethood of

Muhammadsa

. In fact, on close reflection, we find that

it is none other than the Prophethood of Muhammadsa

which has manifested itself in a new mode. This is

what is meant by the statement of the Holy Prophetsa

with reference of the Promised Messiahas

viz.33

that is, he is a Prophet as well as an

ummat i. Because one who is not a follower of the

Holy Prophetsa

can by no means step in to occupy this

exalted station. Blessed is he who comprehends this

point that he may save himself from destruction. God

caused ‘Isaas

to die as the plain and explicit verse of

result of Muhammad'ssa beneficence. [Translators]33 See Sahih Muslim, Kita bul Fitan, Ba bu Dhikril Dajjal and Ba bu Nuzuli‘Isabni Maryama. [Translators]



18

God i.e. 34 bears witness. The

meaning [of this verse], in the context of the relevantverses, is that on the Day of Judgement God will ask

‘Isaas

, "Was it you yourself who taught your followers

'Believe in me and my mother as gods?' ". To this he

will reply, 'As long as I remained among them I was

witness over them and was their custodian, but after You caused me to die, how could I know what the

heresy was with respect to which they had gone

astray!' Now, if one desires one can take the verse to

mean 'When You caused me to die;' or if one so

desires, without abandoning one's unjustified

obduracy, one can take it to mean: 'When You raised

me to Heaven with my physical body.' In any event,

this verse proves that ‘Isaas

will not return to this

world. For had he come again to this world and had he[having returned to this world] broken the Cross, then

in that case it would not be possible that ‘Isaas

, who is

a Prophetas

of God, should tell such a blatantly plain

lie in the presence of God on the Day of Judgement

viz., 'I have no knowledge whatsoever that after me

my people adopted a false creed and made me and my

mother gods'. Can a person who returns to this world

and lives in it for forty years and fights battles against

Christians, tell such detestable lie—i.e. 'I am totally

ignorant of it all'—even though he is a Prophet? Thus

the above verse prevents the return of ‘Isaas

, because,

otherwise, he has to be taken for a liar. If he is in

Heaven with his physical body and, as the above verse

34 Since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou hast been the Watcher over them. (The Holy Qur’an, Al-Ma’idah 5:118). [Translators]



19

elucidates, will not descend on the earth till the Day of

Judgement, will he die in Heaven and will his grave

be in Heaven, while his dying in Heaven is

contradicted by the verse 35. Hence, all this

proves that he [‘Isaas

] did not ascend to Heaven with

his physical body but went to Heaven after having

died. If to oppose the Book of God, when it has givenan explicit verdict, is not a sin, then what else is sin?

Had I not come, such a simple error of judgment

would have been forgivable. But now that I have

come from God and the true and explicit meanings of the Holy Qur’an have been clarified, even then not to

give up false beliefs is not the way of those who are

honest. For me the Signs of God were manifested in

the heaven as well as the earth. About one fourth of

the century has elapsed. And thousands of signs haveappeared. The age of the world has entered its seventh

millennium. What kind of hard-heartedness is this that

even now you do not accept the truth! Look! I

proclaim aloud that God's Signs have not yet been

exhausted. After the sign of that first earthquake

which struck on 4th

April, 1905—about which a

warning was given a long time before its occur-

rence—God has again informed me that another

severe earthquake will strike in the spring season.

Those will be the days of spring. I do not know

whether the earthquake will strike in the beginning

when trees come into leaf or in the middle, or whether

it will strike in the last days of spring. Note that the

35 'Therein [on the Earth] shall you die.' (The Holy Qur’an, Al-A‘r af 7:26). [Translators]



20

words of Divine revelation are 36.

Because the first earthquake struck in spring, Godinformed me that the second earthquake, too, shall

strike in spring. And as some trees begin to put out

new leaves at the end of January, so from this very

month will begin the days of fear and will probably

last till the end of May.37

And God said , meaning that this earth-

quake will be like the Day of Judgement. And again

He said 38

i.e. 'For you We shall

show signs, and those who build buildings We shall

continue to demolish them [the buildings].' And again

He said 39 It means that a

severe earthquake will strike and will turn the earth,

that is, some parts of the earth, upside down as

happened in the time of Lot. And again He saidthat is 'Stealthily with My legions

shall I come. Of that day no one shall know.' So it

happened with the town of Lot. Till it was turned

upside down no one knew of it, and all were busy

eating, drinking and enjoying themselves when all of

36 'Again came the spring and again the Word of God wasfulfilled'. [Translators]37 I do not know whether by 'The Days of Spring' are meant the days of the

spring which will come after the passing of this winter or whether thefulfilment of this revelation will come to light at some later time in the daysof spring. In any case the Word of God shows that the time of the fulfilmentof this prophecy will be the time of spring—whichever spring it may be.But God shall come like a man who stealthily comes at night. This is whatGod has told me. [Author]38 There is another revelation, too, regarding this: a ا م a ے

'It was for

you that My Name shone forth'. [Author]39 'An earthquake struck. It struck with ferocity. It turned the earth upsidedown.' [Translators]



21

a sudden the earth was turned upside down. Hence,

God says that here, too, the same thing will happen

because sin has crossed all bounds and man has fallen

extremely in love with the world and the way of God

is looked down upon with disdain. And He said40

. And then addressed me and said

that is "your God says that one Amr 41 shall descend from Heaven

by which you will be made happy. This is a blessing

and mercy from Us. This is a thing decreed which wasordained from the beginning." And heaven must

refrain itself from sending it down until this prophecy

is publicized among peoples. Is there anyone who will

believe in things which I say! yes, but only he who isfortunate.

Note that this proclamation is not made to causeanxiety, but only to prevent future fears lest oneshould perish in ignorance. Every action is determined

by [one’s] intention and my intention is not to cause pain, but to protect against it. Those who repent shall be saved from Divine punishment. But the unfortunateone who does not repent, nor shuns the company of those who indulge in ridicule, nor does he renouncefoul deeds and sin, his days of destruction are near

because his defiance deserves Divine wrath in the

sight of God.Here another matter deserves mentioning, which I

have already spoken about. And the matter in questionis that God has informed me about my death. He

40 The end of lives. [Translators]41 Amr literally means thing, commandment, power, authority. Here itmeans a Sign. [Translators]



22

addressed me and told me about my life that42 and said 43 .This points to the fact that it is but inevitable that

before my death the world should be subjected tosome calamities and some extraordinary signs of Power are shown so that the world gets ready for a

revolution and after that revolution my death shouldtake place. And I was shown a spot in a vision andwas told: this is the site of your grave. I saw an angelwho was measuring the ground and arriving at a

certain spot, he said to me: This is the place of your grave. Then I was shown a grave which was brighter than silver and all its soil was silver and it was said tome: ‘This is your grave’. I was shown a place whichwas named Bahisht i Maqbarah,44 and it was

conveyed to me that it contained the graves of suchrighteous members of the Jama‘at as are destined todwell in heaven. Since then I have always been

concerned that a piece of land should be bought for the purposes of the graveyard. But because in andaround Qadian a suitable piece of land was available

only at a great cost, this objective remained suspendedfor a very long time. Now after the death of brother Maulawi ‘Abdul Kar im Sahib, may Allah have mercyon his soul, and now that about my own death, too, I

have received repeated revelations, I thought it proper that arrangements of a graveyard should be madeexpeditiously. I have, therefore, proposed that a piece

42 Very few days are left. [Translators]43 After all calamities and wonders of Omnipotence have been shown, your event [i.e., your death] will take place. [Translators]44 The Heavenly Graveyard. [Translators]



23

of land out of my own property which is adjacent toour orchard and the price of which is no less than athousand rupees, be used for this purpose. And I pray

that God may bless it and that He may make this very piece of land the Bahisht i Maqbarah; and make it theresting place of such members of the Jama‘at as are

pure of heart and who have in reality given precedence to Faith over the world and who haverenounced the love of the world and have submittedthemselves to God and have brought about in

themselves a holy change and, like the companions of the Holy Prophet

sa, have set the example of

Faithfulness and Truthfulness, Amin, O Lord of theworld.

I pray again: O All-Powerful God of mine, make

this piece of land fit for the graves of those of my Jama‘at who are pure of heart and who have in reality

become Yours and in their deeds there is no

adulteration of worldliness, Amin.

Again for the third time do I pray: O my Mighty

and Benevolent [God!] O Forgiving and Merciful

God, do grant them alone a place for graves here who

have true faith in this messenger of Yours and who

have no trace of hypocrisy, of selfish motives and of

doubt or suspicion45 in their hearts.; and as faith and

45 Suspicion is a grave calamity which in no time consumes faith, just as blazing fire consumes dry straw. One who suspects and mistrusts theMessengers of God, God Himself becomes his Enemy and stands up to fighthim. He is so jealous for His chosen ones that in this regard none can be Hisequal. When all sorts of attacks were made against me, it was this very jealousy of God which exploded for my sake, as He said:



24

obedience deserve to be followed and observed, they

follow and observe it for Your sake; and in their heart

"I shall stand with My Messenger and shall reproach the one whoreproaches him and shall bestow on thee that which lasts forever. You havea rank in heaven and among those who are able to see. We shall show signsfor you and shall demolish that which they build. They said: Will You placetherein one who will create disorder? He said: I know that which you do notknow. I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate thee. Be not afraid,the Messengers are not afraid in My Presence. Allah's decree has arrived,therefore, do not try to hasten it. Good news received by the Prophets. OMy Ahmad, you are My purpose and are with Me. You are to Me like MyUnity and My Uniqueness. You have a standing with Me of which peoplehave no knowledge. You have a high standing in My Presence. I havechosen you for Myself. When you are angry, I am angry, and when youlove, I love. Allah has preferred you over everything. All praise belongs toAllah, Who has made you Messiah, son of Mary. He is not accountable for that which He does and they are accountable. This promise was bound to be

fulfilled. Allah will safeguard you against your enemies and will attack himwho attacks you. That is because of their disobedience and transgression. Isnot Allah sufficient for His servant? O mountains and birds, bow down toAllah along with him. Allah has decreed: I and My Messengers shall prevail. And they after their defeat shall soon be victorious. Allah is withthose who are righteous and do their duty to the utmost. Those who have believed stand firmly on truth in the estimation of their Lord. Peace is theword from the Merciful Lord. O guilty ones, this day, stand apart from therighteous." [Quoted by the Translator from the English translation of Tadhkirah]



25

of hearts they have already sacrificed their lives for

you and in your path and You are pleased with them;

and those whom You know to be totally lost in love

for You; and those who have with your Messenger a

relationship of love and devotion based on loyalty,

total respect and enlightened faith46, Amin, O Lord of

the world. Since great tidings have been given to me about

this graveyard and because God did not only say that

this graveyard is Bahisht i47, but also said

that is, every kind of blessing has been sent down

upon this graveyard and there is no blessing which is

not shared by those who are buried in this graveyard,

God has inclined my heart through His Wahi-e-

Khaf i4 8 towards the idea that for the burial in the

graveyard some conditions should be prescribed andonly those should get admittance who, because of

their truthfulness and their perfect righteousness,

comply with them. These are the three conditions

which are binding on all:

(1) I have donated the present plot of land as a

contribution from myself. But for the completion

of this compound another tract of land will be

purchased, the price of which will be approxi-

mately one thousand rupees. Some trees will be planted to beautify it and a well will also be dug.46 Here the Promised Messiah

ashas used the expression Inshir ahi Iman or

‘enlightened faith’, which signifies a faith which is embracedconscientiously with an open heart and without any duress or ulterior motive. [Translators]47 Abode of those who will go to Heaven. [Translators]48 A non-verbal revelation which is a kind of Divine Inspira-tion. [Translators]



26

To the north of this graveyard there is a large

stretch of stagnant water and as the graveyard is

accessible only through this side, a bridge will

have to be built. For these sundries, two thousand

rupees will be needed. Thus, the total expenditure

amounts to three thousand rupees which is

required for the completion of this project. Hence,the first condition is that whoever desires to be

buried in this graveyard should contribute towards

the expenses of its maintenance according to

his/her capacity. Such contributions are required

only of people who desire to be buried therein,

and not from others. At present this contribution

should be sent to our respected brother, Maulawi

Nuruddin Sahib; but if God so wishes this

institution will continue after the death of us all.

In that case, there should be an Anjuman4 9 which

should be authorised to spend the money from

such income (which would be raised from time to

time), as it deems fit, for the propagation of Islam

and the Unity of God50.

(2) The second condition is that from among the

Jama‘at only those will be buried in this grave-

yard who make a testamentary disposition that one

tenth of their entire property shall, under the

directions of the Jama‘at , be devoted to the

propagation of Islam and the teachings of the

Holy Qur’an. It will be open to every righteous

person, whose faith is perfect, to bequeath in his

49 The administrative body of the Jama‘at . [Translators]50 See footnote 20. [Translators]



27

Will more than one tenth for this purpose, but in

no case shall it be less then one tenth. And this

monetary income shall be in the custody of an

Anjuman whose members should be honest and

knowledgeable, and they, with mutual consulta-

tion, and according to the directions laid down

above, shall use the funds for the advancement of Islam, dissemination of the Qur’anic knowledge,

publishing religious books and for [the expenses

of] missionaries of the Jama‘at . It is the promise

of God that He will cause the Jama‘at to flourish,

so it is expected that abundance of funds will be

forthcoming for the propagation of Islam. Every

matter pertaining to the proposals about the

propagation of Islam, going into the details of

which will be premature, will be paid for out of

these funds. And when a party of those who are

made responsible for discharging these duties

passes away, those who succeed them shall be

duty-bound to render all those services in

accordance with the instructions of Silsila

Ahmadiyya5 1 . These funds shall also be used to

help such orphans, poor and needy people, and

new converts as do not have sufficient means of

livelihood. And it shall be permissible to augment

these funds through trade and commerce. Do notthink that these things which I have said are

inconceivable. No, they are the Will of that

Mighty One Who is the Lord of the earth and the

51 Silsila Ahmadiyya means the entire Jama‘at represented by the PromisedMessiahas and Khulafa who succeed him. [Translators]



28

heaven. I am not worried how these funds will be

collected, nor do I grieve over how such a

Jama‘at will be raised who, inspired by their faith,

shall perform such heroic feats. Rather I am

worried that, after I am gone, those who will be

entrusted with these funds may not, seeing their

abundance, stumble and fall in love with theworld. So I pray that such honest people may

always be found by the Jama‘at who work for

God alone. However, it shall be lawful that those

who have no means to support themselves should

be given something from these funds by way of

assistance.

(3) The third condition is that each one who is buried

here should have led a righteous life and abstained

from all that is prohibited, and should have not been guilty of Shirk 5 2 and Bid‘at 5 3 . He should be

a true and sincere Muslim.

(4) Every righteous person who owns no property and

is unable to render any financial service (to the

community) can be buried in this graveyard,

provided it is established that he had dedicated his

life to serve the Faith and was a righteous person.

52 Shirk means to associate partners with God. [Translators]53 Bid‘at an unwarranted innovation in matters of faith and religion.[Translators]



29

INSTRUCT IONS

1. Anyone who wishes to make a will in accordance

with the above conditions, his/her will shall beexecuted after his/her death. However, it shall beincumbent that the will be made in writing and

entrusted to the appointed trustee of the Jama‘at . Itshall also be obligatory to print and publish it [thewill], since at the time of death making bequestsoften becomes difficult. Since the days of

visitations and calamities are close at hand,therefore, one who makes a will at the time of

peace holds a lofty station in the sight of God.Such a will, under which the contribution is

permanent, will confer perpetual reward on the one

who makes it, and it would amount to Khair at-e- J arya54.

2. Anyone who lives in any other part of the countryfar from Qadian and is bound by the conditions

mentioned earlier, his/her heirs should, after thedeath of such a person, put his/her body in a coffinand bring it to Qadian. If a person eligible for

burial here dies before the graveyard is completed—that is before the completion of the bridgeetc.—his/her body should be put in a coffin and

buried at the place of his/her death in trust. After the completion of all the necessary arrangementsrelating to the graveyard, his/her body should be

brought to Qadian. However, it would not be

54 A charity or any other good deed the effect and the reward of which isunending. [Translators]



30

proper to exhume the bodies of those who have not been buried in a coffin.55

Let it be made clear that it is the Will of Allahthat such as have perfect Faith should all be buried

in the same place, so that future generations,having seen them all buried in one location, should

strengthen their own faith, and so that their 56

greatservices—that is the deeds they performed for thesake of Allah—live forever in the people’smemory.

In the end I pray that may Allah help everysincere person in this matter and that He may

kindle the fire of faith in their hearts and that theyall meet their death when Allah is pleased withthem. Amin

It is appropriate that every one of our Jama‘at who receives this booklet should announce it to hisfriends and acquaintances and publish it as far as it

is possible for him to do, and treasure it for hisfuture generations, and inform the opponents aboutit in an appropriate manner, and he should also

patiently bear the abuse of every slanderer andkeep himself busy praying.

55 Let no ignorant person think that this graveyard and the arrangements for it fall into the category of Bid‘at [an unwarranted religious innovation]. For this arrangement is in accordance with Divine revelation and there is noelement of human involvement in it. And let no one wonder how, by just being buried in this graveyard, one can enter Paradise. The idea behind it allis not that this piece of land will make anyone worthy of Heaven; rather theWord of God means that only those will be buried here who are worthy of Heaven. [Author]56 those of the deceased. [Translators]



31

*Our Proclamation at the end is that all praise belongs to Allah Who is the Lord of the Worlds.

The humble one,

The Writer,

the one who is always in need of Allah, theEverlasting Refuge, Ghulam Ahmad, may

Allah protect him and be his help.

December 20, 1905

* The sentences after the star to the date is the translation of:



32



33

Beware! O ye who are so watchful and by nature pureIn your greed for this world, do not ruin your faith.

Do not tie your heart to this transitory abode,For underneath its pleasure lie hidden hundreds of

woes.

If only you had the ears to hear;

You would catch the voice from the grave singing:

'O my would-be prey;

Do not agonise over the sordid affairs of this world'.

Everyone who is enamoured of this wretched world,

Is a hostage to misery, trials and tribulations.

Delivered is he who is ever-mindful of his deathWho breaks free from this world and hastens to follow

the right path.

Even before his death, he sets out on his journey tothe Friend;Taking leave of this world and all that it contains.

He is ever ready to leave for the hereafter;Discarding all the things mundane.

Since the affairs of this life are so secret and arcane;You’d better break yourself free from this abode.



34

My dear child! The Hell of which the Holy Qur’anspeaks,Is none other than this greed for the world.

Since in the end one must bid farewell to this world;And, must sooner or later take this trip.

Why should a wise man tie his heart to a garden;Whose flowers are a prey to the autumn winds?

It is but folly to tie one’s heart to this hussy,For she is an enemy of faith and truth and purity.

Of what use is this two-faced sweetheart,Who kills you at times by peace and at times by war.

Why not fall in love with the Sweetheart;Whose love delivers from heavy chains?

Go, think of your end, O rebellious one!Listen to Sa‘di, if you will not listen to me.

The hour of your death shall be the hour of rejoicing;Provided you die in virtue.



35

Appendix relating to Risala 'Al-Was.iyyat'

('THE WILL')57

There are certain important points regarding the booklet 'The Will' which need to be publicised and

they are as follows:1. The first point to be noted is that until the

Anjuman K arpard a z Masaleh Qabrist an58 announcesthat the graveyard is fully completed with respect to

every necessary requirement, it shall not be permissible that the body of a person who has fullycomplied with all the conditions laid down in 'The

Will' be brought for burial in the graveyard. Thecompletion of the bridge and that of other necessaryrequirements must be given priority. Till then the

body is to be placed in a coffin and buried in some

other graveyard in trust.

2. Anyone who undertakes to abide by the conditionslaid down in 'The Will', it shall be required of him/her

to make a declaration in writing, in the presence of two witnesses, and entrust this document to the

Anjuman while he/she is in full possession of his/her

faculties. The testator should explicitly state thathe/she bequeaths or endows one tenth of all of his/her movable and immovable property for the propagationof the objectives of the Ahmadiyya Jama‘at . And it

57 (1) The newspaper Al- H akam, Vol.10, No.2 dated January 17, 1906.(2) The Review of Religions, January 1906. [Translators]

58 The administrative body responsible for looking after the affairs pertaining to bequest and related matters. It is part of Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya —the parent body of the Jama‘at. [Translators]



36

shall be obligatory that the testator publishes this

[declaration] in at least two newspapers.

3. It shall be binding on the Anjuman that, after fullysatisfying itself regarding the legal and shar‘i59 validity of the contents of the will, it issues acertificate to the testator, duly signed and sealed. And

when, in accordance with the regulations stated above,a dead body is brought to the graveyard for burial, thecertificate must be presented to the Anjuman, and inaccordance with the directives of the Anjuman. After

the Anjuman has surveyed where the deceased can be buried, the coffin shall be buried at the spot specified

by the Anjuman for the burial.

4. Since all children who have not come of age go to

heaven, they shall not be buried in this graveyard

except when the Anjuman suggests that there arespecial circumstances owing to which such a burial

could take place. Nor shall any relative of thedeceased be buried in this graveyard, unless he/she onhis/her own complies with the conditions laid down in

'The Will'.

5. It shall not be permissible for the body of a personwho has not died in Qadian to be brought to Qadianwithout a coffin. Also it shall be necessary to inform

the Anjuman one month in advance, so that if at thetime the Anjuman is facing some obstacles regardingthe graveyard, it should be able to overcome them

before giving permission for the burial.

6. If, God forbid, a person who has complied with all

the conditions laid down in the will die of plague, it

59 Pertaining to the Islamic Sharia (Islamic Law). [Translators]



37

shall be obligatory that his/her body is placed in acoffin and buried in trust at some other place for a

period of two years. After two years, his/her body

shall be brought to Qadian at a time when the placewhere the testator died as well as Qadian are free of the plague.

7. It should be kept in mind that [for burial in thisgraveyard] it is not enough merely that one tenth of one’s movable and immovable property is

bequeathed, but it is also necessary that the testator, to

the best of his/her capacity, complies with thecommandments of Islam and strives for matters

pertaining to Taqwa and Purity, is a Muslim, believesin one God, and has true faith in His Messenger.

Moreover he/she does not violate the rights of fellowmen.

8. If a person bequeaths one tenth of his/her assets

and dies accidentally, for instance, by drowning; or if he dies in another country from where it is difficult to

bring his/her body, his/her will shall remain valid and,

in the sight of God, he/she will be considered to have been buried in this graveyard. And it shall be permissible that in his/her memory a headstone— made of bricks or stone—be erected with an

inscription stating some facts about him/her.

9. The Anjuman controlling these funds shall not beauthorised to spend them for purposes other than

those pertaining to the objectives of Ahmadiyya Jama‘at and of these the objective of the propagationof Islam will take precedence over all others. And itshall be permissible for the Anjuman to augment these



38

funds through trade and commerce with the members’

consensus.

10. The Anjuman shall consist only of such membersas belong to the Ahmadiyya Jama‘at and are piousand upright. Should it be felt at any time that amember is not pious or is dishonest or is an intriguer,

or that he has a streak of worldliness in him, then itshall be obligatory for the Anjuman to immediatelycancel the membership of such a person and replace

him with some one else.

11. If a dispute arises with respect to the bequeathedassets and funds then any cost incurred in the process

of settling the dispute shall be met by the funds of Wasi yyat .

12. If a person makes a will and then, because of

some weakness in his faith, revokes his/her will or renounces the Ahmadiyya Jama‘at , then, even if the

Anjuman is lawfully in possession of his property, itshall not be permissible for the Anjuman to keep

his/her property in its possession but shall be bound toreturn it. This is because God is in no need of anyone's property or money. And in the sight of Godall such wealth is detestable and fit only to be

rejected.

13. Because the Anjuman deputises for the Khal

i fa who is appointed by God60, it should be free from all

traces of worldliness and all its affairs should bestraight and transparent and based on justice.

14. It shall be permissible for the support and help of

this Anjuman, to have its branches in far off lands

60 The Promised Messiah and his Khulaf a’ (Successors). [Translators]



39

which shall function under its directives and such branches shall be subsidiary to it [the Anjuman atQadian]. If such subsidiary Anjumans are in countries

from where it is difficult to bring the bodies of thedeceased, it shall be permissible for the local

Anjumans to bury them in their respective countries.

And in order to have Divine reward, such a personshould bequeath one tenth of his/her property beforehis/her death. The local Anjuman of a country shall beentitled to own the funds raised by bequests made in

that country. It shall be preferable that such funds arespent for the religious needs of that country. However,it shall be permissible that, in view of certainrequirements, such funds are sent to the Anjuman, the

headquarters of which are at Qadian.61

15. It is mandatory that the headquarters of this

Anjuman always remain at Qadian, because God has

blessed this place. For this purpose, it shall be permissible for the Anjuman to erect buildings in

anticipation of future needs.

16. There should always be at least two such membersof the Anjuman as are well versed in the knowledge of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith and who have acquiredthe knowledge of Arabic and are also learned in

Ahmadiyya literature.

17. If, God forbid, there is a person who makes a willin accordance with the booklet ‘The Will’, and

happens to suffer from leprosy and his/her physicalcondition is such that it is not suitable for his/her dead61 The Promised Messiah has used the word 'headquarters' and hasexplained it in Urdu. We have not translated the Urdu expression Markaz

Muqami which means local headquarters. [Translators]



40

body to be brought to this graveyard, then in view of the known precautionary measures, it shall not be

proper for him/her to be brought to this graveyard.

However, if such a person has been able to carry outhis/her obligations under the will, then such a personshall have the same station as is reserved for one who

is buried here—God willing.18. If there is a person who has no property, moveableor immovable, but it is established that he/she isvirtuous, saintly, God-fearing, a genuine believer and

has no trace of hypocrisy and worldliness, nor ishe/she found wanting in implicit obedience, thenhe/she, too, by my permission, or after me, with theconsensus of the Anjuman, may be buried in this

graveyard.

19. If a person is rejected by a special DivineRevelation, he/she shall not be buried in this

graveyard, even though he/she offers to pay the

bequeathed contribution.

20. God has made an exception in my case and thecase of my wife and children. All other men andwomen must comply with these conditions; and

whoever objects will be a hypocrite.

These are the obligatory conditions which have

been detailed above. In future, only that person whocomplies with these conditions shall be buried in this Maqbara Bahisht i. It is possible that there may be persons, who are swayed by doubt and suspicion and

make me a target of objections in this matter, andregard this arrangement as based on selfish motives or

judge it as a Bid‘at . But remember, these are the



41

Works of God Almighty, and He does what He wills.Indeed He has willed that by this scheme He shalldistinguish between a hypocrite and a believer. And I

too feel that those who, having been informed of thisDivine scheme, having been informed of this Divinescheme become anxious, immediately and without

hesitation, to subscribe one tenth of their property inthe way of Allah—nay, they even show greater fervour—and set the seal on their faithfulness. Allahsays:

62 "Do the

people think that I [Allah] should be pleased only bytheir verbal claim: ‘We have believed’ and that theyshould not be tried just yet. Whereas this trial is notrial. The companions of the Holy Prophetsa were triedwhen they were required to sacrifice their lives.

Accordingly, they laid down their lives in the path of God. Then how far away from the truth is the thoughtas to why everyone is not allowed to be buried in this

graveyard. Were this the case, why then did GodAlmighty prescribe trials in each age? In every age,He has been pleased to distinguish the impure from

the pure. He has, therefore, done the same now. In thedays of the Holy Prophet

sa, God prescribed some

minor trials, too. For example, it was the practice thatno one would seek any kind of advice from the Holy

Prophetsa without offering Nadhr ana63. Thus in thistoo was a trial for the hypocrites. I feel that in presentday trials too the faithful ones of the highest order 62 I am Allah the All-Knowing. Do men think that they will be left alone because they say, 'We believe', and that they will not be tried?

(The Holy Qur’an, Al-‘Ankabut 29:2-3). [Translators]63 Anything given as a gift to a holy person, specially the HolyProphetsa. (Translator)



42

who have in fact given precedence to faith over worldliness will stand distinguished from others and itshall be proved that they have fulfilled their pledge of

Bai‘at and established their bona fides. No doubt thisinstitution [of Wasiyyat ] will be very hard on thehypocrites, for it will expose them and after they die,

be they men or women, they will certainly not be buried in this graveyard. 64 Butthose who excel in this matter will be counted amongthe righteous and forever and always shall they be the

recipients of Divine blessings.

Finally, let it be remembered that the days of

calamities are close at hand and a severe earthquakethat will turn the earth upside down is imminent.Hence before Divine chastisement strikes, those who

prove that they are not of this world and haverenounced it, and who further demonstrate how wellthey carried out my command, they alone are the true

believers in the sight of God. And their names shall be

listed in His book as of those who are the first andforemost. And truly and sincerely do I say that thetime is near when a hypocrite who out of his love for

this world, has evaded this commandment, will at thetime of chastisement let out an anguished cry and say,'Would that I had given all that I possessed—all my

movable and immovable possessions—in the way of God and escaped this chastisement. Remember, after

witnessing this punishment faith will be of no availand alms and charity will be in vain. Look, I warn you

64 In their hearts was a disease, and Allah has increased their disease tothem. (The Holy Qur’an, Al-Baqarah 2:11) [Translators]



43

of an imminent Divine chastisement. Hasten to stock up on your [spiritual] provisions that will serve you.As for me, I have no intention of taking possession of

your wealth. Rather you shall give your wealth to the Anjuman for the propagation of the Faith and shall berewarded with a life in Heaven. There are many who,

for their love of the world, shall evade my command but shall soon be taken away from this world—then atthe last hour they shall exclaim:

65 .

66

The humble one, the author,

Mirza Ghulam AhmadThe Promised Messiah from God Almighty.

January 6, 1906.

65 'This is what the Gracious God had promised and the Messengers spokethe truth.' (The Holy Qur’an, Yasin 36:53). [Translators]

66 Peace be on one who follows the Guidance. [Translators]



44

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

We glorify Him and pray for His Holy Messenger

MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEETING OF

THE MAJLIS MU‘TAMAD I N

S ADR ANJUMAN A H MADIYYAHELD ON JANUARY 29, 1906 A.D.

IN ATTENDANCE WERE:

• Hadrat Maulawi Nuruddin Sahib. .............................President• Khan Sahib Muhammad ‘Ali Khan Sahib.

• Sahibzada Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad Sahib.

• Maulawi Sayyid Muhammad Ahsan Sahib.

• Khawa ja Kamalud Din Sahib.

• Doctor Sayyid Muhammad Hussain Sahib,

• The Secretary of the Board.

Since it was most urgent and essential to issue some

important instructions and grant certain permissions, and since

there was not enough time to inform members living outside

Qadian, this meeting was held with the permission of Hadrat

Imamas [The Promised Messiahas], after his approval of the by-laws.

The following decisions were taken.

1. It was resolved that the proposed draft of Wasiyyat…… be

approved.

2. It was resolved that for the time being eight hundred copies

of the draft of Wasiyyat should be printed. Moreover, it

should also be published in Al- H akm and Badr .

3. It was resolved that the following instructions be sent to the

testators for compliance. Moreover, the said instructions

should also be printed below the Wasiyyat Form.

a. If need be, the testator may ask for…..the draft form of

the Wasiyyat , copy it on a plain paper and where there

are blanks in the form, fill them in as required by

his/her personal circumstances. Strong and durable

paper should be used for the purpose of writing the will.

b. Wherever possible, the Wasiyyat should be registered

and heirs or, where applicable, those who have jointly



45

made the Will,67 should put their signatures on the Will

as witnesses, and along with them two respectable

persons of the town/city or village should also be made

witnesses to the Will.

c. The M usi68 , as also the witnesses, literate or illiterate,

besides signing or affixing their seals, must also append

their thumbprints [on the Will]. Those who are literate

should also sign the Will. Men should append their left

thumbprint and women should append their right

thumbprint.

d. If the testator can write, he should write the will in

his/her own hand.

e. The Will does not require Stamp.

f. In case there are exceptional circumstances requiring

legal advice, the testator should write to the legal

advisor of the Anjuman for advice.

4. In the Punjab, if the land-owners face any difficulties in

making Wasi yyat , it would be appropriate for them to gift

[to the Anjuman] the portion of land they would like to bequeath in their lifetime. The Gift Deed should also be

signed by their reversionary heirs (if any) showing their

consent. It is obligatory that the Gift Deed be registered and

the gifted property be mutated in the name of Majlis

Mu‘tamad in Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya. In case they acquire

additional property, they will have to follow the same

procedure as and when required.

5. Should there be any difficulty in executing the Gift Deed

mentioned in Resolution No. 4, the market value of the

property they wish to bequeath should be assessed, or the

said property be sold and the cash amounting to the value of the assessed property or the amount received after the sale

of the [bequeathed] property should be deposited with

Majlis-e-K arpard a z Masaleh Qabrist an, responsible for

67 In the beginning it was permissible for several individuals (such asmembers of a family) to make a joint Will. Later this practice wasdropped. [Translators]68 The one who makes the Will. [Publisher]



46

running the affairs of the graveyard. Whenever such M usis

acquire additional property, they shall have to follow the

same procedure as and when required.

6. Those who do not own any property but have other means

of income should contribute each month at least 1/10th of

their income to the Anjuman. They have the option to

include or not to include in this 1/10th in the contributions

they are already making towards the cause of the Jama‘at . If they want to consider their current contributions as part of

this 1/10th, they should continue sending their payments as

before, and after subtracting this amount from the 1/10th, the

balance should be sent to the Financial Secretary of the

Majlis K arpard a z Masaleh Qabrist an. Further correspon-

dence should be addressed to the Secretary of the Majlis.

However, they shall have to make a Will that after their

death, the Anjuman shall be the [rightful[ owner of 1/10th of

the property they leave behind.

a. Note: Those who would like further legal information

about Wasiyyat or Deed of Gift in favour of Majlis-e-K arpard a z Masaleh Qabrist an, may write to …………

before actually signing Wasiyyat or Deed of Gift.

b. Note: Under special circumstances, things may be

settled with Majlis-e-Mu‘tamad in through correspon-

dence.

7. All monetary contributions, pertaining to the Cemetery and

those made under the aforesaid conditions laid down in the

announcement of Wasiyyat should be sent only to The

Financial Secretary, Majlis K arpard a z Masaleh Qabrist an.

It should not be sent to anyone by name or at any other

address.

Muhammad ‘Ali,…Secretary..... January 29, 1906 C.E.

Nuruddin ..........................................July 01, 1906 C.E.

.......................................Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

the will by hazrat mirza ghulam ahmad

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